A Fading Song
by Silent Steps in Silver Snow
Summary: After the downfall of Russetstar and her followers, life in the Clans has almost returned to normal. But after the last battle that the WindClan leader waged against her fellow Clans, many lives were lost. Now the Clans are dwindling in size. Unless someone does something quickly, ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan and ShadowClan will become nothing more than a memory, a fading song.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Welcome to the sequel! I told you it would be happening c: If you didn't read the one before this, I suggest you do. It's called 'What Could Have Been', easily accessible on my profile c: I don't think this will attract a lot of new readers, but just in case, there you have it!

**-Important! Please read- **So, in this story I will need a LOT of cats. Soooo, I've made a forum: myforums/Silent_Steps_in_Silver_Snow/4030349/ Please go there to create a kitty :3

Sunlight shone through the treetops, filtering through the leaves and shining down into the clearing in the forest below. The ground was covered by soft, deep green moss and patches of grass that sent a warm, summery smell into the air. In the glade, two she-cats were engrossed in deep conversation—One was a white she-cat with deep blue eyes that sparkled with starshine, and the other was a gray she-cat. She was less shimmery, and seemed more earthly than her companion. Her fluffy tail swished the grass nervously as she asked, "are you sure that this is the best for us, Icepaw?"

The StarClan she-cat nodded wisely. "Yes, I am sure. I've talked with Bluestar, Spottedleaf, Flametail, Jayfeather—All of the greatest StarClan cats, and they all say the same thing: This is the only thing that can save your Clans."

"But what of warrior blood? With so many non-Clan cats, won't we become nothing more than a group of cats with Clan blood somewhere in our ancestry?"

"Rainbreeze, I expect you to know better," Icepaw chided gently. "A cat in a Clan has warrior blood, no matter where they came from or who they were."

Rainbreeze nodded. "I understand," she mewed. "When should I bring this up with the Clans?"

"At tonight's Gathering," the StarClan apprentice replied. "The leaders will be more open to the idea then you might expect."

"I will do that," Rainbreeze promised. "Thank you."

Icepaw purred. "Goodnight, my friend. Or should I say good morning?"

The StarClan forest dissolved into a silver fog and Rainbreeze woke up in her den, splayed in her nest with her face to the moss. Groaning, she rose to her paws and gave her fur a quick grooming. A quiet coughing from the front of the den told her Brightpaw was awake. The ThunderClan medicine cat padded over to where the young ginger-and-white she-cat lay. "How are you feeling today, Brightpaw?" She asked.

The apprentice raised her head groggily. "Better," she rasped. "My throat still hurts, though."

The young she-cat had come down with whitecough a few sunrises before. She was healing, but Rainbreeze wanted to keep her in the medicine den so that it wouldn't turn to greencough. "Here, eat this," she told Brightpaw, pushing a wrapped bundle of herbs toward her. "It won't taste good, but it will hopefully mean you're training again tomorrow—light training, mind you."

Brightpaw took a bite of one of the leaves, then spit it back out and dramatically wiped her tongue on the moss. "Ew," she complained, "do I have to?"

"Here, let me help you with that," Rainbreeze chuckled, pulling a honeycomb out of her stores and dripping some on the leaves. "That should make it taste better."

"Thanks!" The ginger-and-white she-cat settled down to eat the herbs ("They still taste kinda gross!") while Rainbreeze took fresh moss from a ball by the entrance and set about changing the bedding in her nest as well as Brightpaw's. Using the last scraps, she carried them to the back and lined a small dip in the floor.

The medicine cat apprentice's nest had been empty for over 12 moons. _Hopefully not for much longer,_ she purred to herself. Lilyheart's kits were becoming apprentices today, and if he agreed, Emberkit would become her own apprentice. Rainbreeze patted the last scraps of moss into place and stepped back to admire her work. Satisfied with the outcome, she left the den and emerged into the warm sunlight. Curling her claws into the soft dirt, Rainbreeze stretched and yawned in the dappled light, then made her way through the throngs of cats gathered for morning patrols and leaped up the tumble of rocks leading to the Highledge. Talonstar was grooming himself at the peak of the stone, watching sun with dull amber eyes. He was getting old, and there were rumors of him retiring. When the medicine cat leaped up to land on the flat rock, he glanced over.

"Good day, Rainbreeze," he greeted her. "Are you here for the ceremony?"

"Actually, I had something to tell you first." Rainbreeze summarized up her dream from the night before, ending with, "Icepaw told me to tell the Clans at the Gathering tonight."

Talonstar dipped his head thoughtfully. "I will make sure you have the chance. In the meantime, it's sunhigh. Time to call everyone for the ceremony."

Rainbreeze nodded respectfully and jumped down to sit halfway up the rock tumble as Talonstar called everyone together. Moonkit, Emberkit and Stormkit were sitting near the edge, whispering excitedly. Lilyheart and her mate, Sparktail, were sitting a little while off, tails twined. Rainbreeze watched Emberkit with special interest as he glanced around brightly, looking more nervous than either of his siblings. He had been the one to repeatedly lead his littermates on escapades through the medicine den. One time, Rainbreeze had returned from an herb-gathering expedition to find Stormkit pretending to be a greencough patient while Emberkit ran around madly, picking herbs out of their stores and pretending to feed them to his brother.

The Clans quieted down as Talonstar began to speak. "Today, we have three kits who have reached the age of six moons and are ready to be apprenticed. Emberkit, Moonkit and Stormkit, please come forward." The three young cats, swapping excited glances, ran out of the crowd and stopped nervously before the Highledge. Talonstar looked down at them with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, then continued, "Stormkit, from this moment until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Palefrost, you have proved yourself ready for an apprentice, so you will be mentor to Stormpaw."

The light gray tom stepped out of the audience to touch noses with the new apprentice, before both withdrew into the crowd.

Next, Moonkit took a small step forward as Talonstar announced, "from this day until she earns her warrior name, she will be known as Moonpaw. Featherpelt, you are a loyal warrior, and I know Moonpaw will blossom under your training."

The two gray she-cats touched noses, leaving only Emberkit standing in the middle of the clearing. Rainbreeze couldn't help but notice as the young tom's eyes flickered nervously, his amber gaze jumping from cat to cat with barely visible flicks. As Talonstar began the last part of the ceremony, his eyes moved so he was watching his leader with bright eyes. "Emberkit, from this day until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Emberpaw. Emberpaw, you are different. Even as a kit, you were not like your littermates. For this reason, you will be apprenticed to Rainbreeze, if you so choose."

Emberpaw looked stunned for a moment, then happy as he dipped his head. "I would like that," he mewed with barely concealed excitement, veiled only by a thin layer of outward calmness.

Rainbreeze felt a purr grow in her chest as she leaped down to touch noses with him. He stared at her with a mixture of excitement and wonder as they withdrew to the side, where Rainbreeze usually sat during meetings.

"Stormpaw! Moonpaw! Emberpaw!" The Clan cheered. Talonstar let it continue for a few heartbeats, then raised his tail for silence.

"As you all know, our deputy Lilyheart has been in the nursery for the past six moons with her kits, who are now apprentices. Therefore, she will resume her duties, taking back over from Lightfur. Lightfur, we thank you for being so willing to serve your Clan in her absence."

"Lilyheart! Lightfur!" After that round of cheers had died down, Talonstar finished with, "the cats going to the Gathering tonight will be myself, Lilyheart, Rainbreeze, Palefrost, Oaktail, Pondpaw and Sparktail. That is all." He turned and retreated into his den, signaling the end of the meeting.

The moment the crowd began to break up, Emberpaw turned to Rainbreeze and assaulted her with questions. "So, what are we doing first? When do I get to meet StarClan? Are we taking care of any sick cats right now?"

Rainbreeze laughed. "Calm down, Emberpaw," she purred. "We'll get to all of that. Right now, I'm just going to take you on a tour of the territory and show you some of my favorite spots to get herbs. I'll tell you about some of them on the way."

"Okay!" Emberpaw's ears pricked up and he bounced forward, leaving Rainbreeze to trot after him, knowing that she would be very, very tired that night.

A/n: Well? Yeshyeshyesh? I liked it c: 'Twas pretty impressive for me, I think :3 Don't be afraid to review, I promise that I don't bite! Also, don't forget to go submit some kitties to the forum linked at the beginning of the chapter! I really need 'em c:


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Sorry for all the wait, guys! My friend (from the other side of the country) finally came to visit, and then she left, and then she got to come back! :3 So, she just left a few hours ago and I realized I hadn't updated in a while and so I felt obligated to. Thank you to all the reviewers on both stories! Don't forget to check out my forum and submit some kitties: myforums/Silent_Steps_in_Silver_Snow/4030349/ Anyways, enjoy this chapter :3 Oh, BY THE WAY- Since Emberpaw is med. Cat apprentice, he gets to go to the Gathering, too. Sorry, forgot about that :P

ThunderClan was the last to arrive at the Gathering. With Emberpaw bouncing excitedly at her side, Rainbreeze made her way through the jumble of cats to where the medicine cats always met, by the base of the Great Oak. Her friend, Clearwater from RiverClan, was there with a small honey-and-white she-cat, who must be her apprentice. Violetwing of ShadowClan and Patchfur of WindClan were also there with their apprentices. "Hi!" Rainbreeze purred, joining the group.

Their conversation died down long enough for all of the others to dip their heads in greeting. "I see you have yourself an apprentice, finally," Clearwater purred. "Who is this?"

"This is Lilyheart's kit, Emberpaw," Rainbreeze introduced him. Suddenly shy, the small tom shrank back into her side, amber eyes stretched wide.

"Really? That's great! It's nice to meet you, Emberpaw," Clearwater purred. "This is my apprentice, Honeypaw."

"Hi," the small she-cat purred.

"I'm Violetwing," the gray she-cat introduced herself, "and this is Sparrowpaw." She nodded to the brown tom by her side, who nodded a greeting. Patchfur and Heatherpaw introduced themselves, and Emberpaw took the whole thing in silently.

"How is everything going in your Clans?" Rainbreeze asked, glancing around at her friends.

The medicine cats swapped nervous glances, but it was Clearwater who spoke up. "Actually, we were just talking about that."

"Everyone's getting antsy because the Clans are so small," Violetwing mewed anxiously. "A bad bout of greencough could destroy an entire Clan right now. StarClan's been silent. We don't know what to do!"

"Actually, I received a dream from them last night," Rainbreeze revealed nervously.

"You did? What was it?" Patchfur asked, eyes bright.

"Well, I met with my old friend Icepaw, who died a while ago. She said that there was a group of loners living far to the north. Almost like a Clan, but not quite. We… We have to find them and bring them back to join our Clans or we'll die out."

"Loners?" Violetwing asked suspiciously. "That's not very reassuring. What if they don't want to join our Clan?"

"Icepaw didn't say it would be easy," Rainbreeze shrugged, "but I think we have to do it. Talonstar wants me to announce it to the Clans when it's his turn to speak tonight."

"Speaking of which, I think they're about to start," Clearwater whispered. "We should be quiet."

Rainbreeze nodded and motioned to Emberpaw to sit down beside her. He did, turning his gaze to the four leaders sitting on their branches of the oak. First, Songstar of WindClan rose to her paws, surveying the cats below. "WindClan is doing well," she mewed. "We have plentiful prey and no sickness. That is all."

Ravenstar of WindClan spoke next, merely saying, "RiverClan is well," before sitting down to allow Shadedstar to rise.

"ShadowClan has had few troubles," Shadedstar began cautiously, "but our Clan is still small."

Talonstar took his place next to the gray tom and raised his amber eyes to look out over the crowd. "Our medicine cat, Rainbreeze, has had a dream to share with you all," he meowed calmly.

Emberpaw glanced at Rainbreeze with wide eyes. "Stay here," she whispered, rising to her paws and leaping up the tree to stand on a slightly lower branch. Every cat was completely silent, watching her. Nervously, the small she-cat swallowed, then started, "last night, I had a dream. A StarClan cat came to me and told me that if we do not expand our numbers, we will soon die out." Distressed yowls rose from the crowd, but Talonstar flicked his tail and they fell silent again. Rainbreeze nodded to her leader before continuing, "but she also told me that there is hope. Far to the north, farther than any Clan cat has ever been, there are cats living much like a Clan themselves. We have to bring these cats back to our own Clans to replenish our numbers." Before the quiet clamor from the assembled cats could reach any louder a volume, she added, "I know it's a bit unorthodox. We've never had to do something like this before. But it is the only way to make sure that our Clans live on. Right now, a bout of greencough could kill an entire Clan in a quarter moon. We must do this."

Yowls of protest filled the air, and not even the leaders could quiet their cats. Rainbreeze started to feel a little panicked. What if cats started getting angry? She didn't want to be yelled at. This wasn't even her idea.

"QUIET!" The surprisingly loud screech rent the arguments, plunging the clearing into sudden silence. Rainbreeze, searching the source of the sound, turned her head to look beside her and there was Emberpaw, looking small, defiant and extremely peeved by her side. The moment all gazes turned in their direction, however, he cowered down with a small squeak and then yelped in surprise as he skidded backwards off of the branch and plunged into the sea of cats below. There were a few chuckles from the audience, but everyone was mostly waiting for the next move. There was a scrabbling sound and Violetwing pulled herself up to stand beside Rainbreeze.

"ShadowClan supports this journey!" She called.

Shadedstar let out a half-surprised, half-annoyed hiss behind her. "Violetwing, be quiet!"

The gray she-cat whipped around, focusing her lavender glare on the ShadowClan leader. "Make me." Rainbreeze remembered that Shadedstar was also Violetwing's father and looked on in amusement as the ash-gray tom held his daughter's gaze for a few heartbeats, then sighed and rolled his eyes in resignation. Violetwing turned back, shooting a triumphant glance in Rainbreeze's direction before watching the crowd again. Meanwhile, Songstar and Ravenstar were having a quiet discussion on their branch of the Great Oak. Songstar nodded to the slightly older cat before turning away.

"WindClan supports this as well," she announced.

Ravenstar dipped his head. "So does RiverClan."

There was silence for a moment, before someone called out, "who will go?"

Rainbreeze flicked an ear before replying, "in my dream, I was told that three cats from each Clan must go."

Talonstar nodded to her before deciding out loud, "then it's settled. Each Clan will decide, and then on the night of the next Gathering, the three cats will be among those who come. We can send them off then with the proper herbs and well wishes."

None of the other leaders had a problem with this, so the Gathering broke up and Talonstar rallied his warriors for the trek home. Emberpaw trailed at the back, tail dragging. Worried for her apprentice, Rainbreeze slowed her pace until she could walk beside him. "Are you alright?" She asked gently.

"I fell off the branch and looked completely stupid!" He glanced up at her, amber eyes full of shame. "I made a fool of myself at my first Gathering. No one will respect me now."

"Of course they will," Rainbreeze purred. "You got up there at your first Gathering and they listened to you. I think you'll be one of the most respected medicine cats in the Clans."

"Really?" His eyes brightened a bit.

"Really." Rainbreeze nodded. "Go walk up there with everyone else. I'm sure Lilyheart will want to congratulate you."

"Okay!" Seeming much more spirited, Emberpaw bounded forward and melted into the crowd, though his ginger-and-black pelt was still visible easily.

Back in her den, it didn't take long for Rainbreeze to fall asleep. She was tired, it was late and she had lots to do.

A/n: Wow guys I am SO INCREDIBLY SORRY that this took so long! One thing led to another and I just forgot about it. Ah, well. On a better note, 9 reviews on one chapter? That's the best I think I've ever done! ;w; Hope you liked this one. So, who do you think will go?


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Okay, guys, I'm surprised. I did NOT expect this to be so popular, but I already have 20 reviews! Thank you so much to EVERYONE for the favorites, reviews and follows. It means a lot to me that people appreciate my writing :) Now, since I have to draw this out but not too much, it's gonna be a few chapters before anything journey-ish starts happening. Right. Also, I have yet to get any crap about Moonpaw's name, but here is my defense: Erin used it, therefore it's okay. The fandom cannot decide what's 'canon' and what isn't. If Erin uses it, it's 'canon' and therefore acceptable. Right. On to the chapter.

When Rainbreeze told him it was all right to eat with the regular apprentices that evening, Emberpaw left the medicine cat den and paused to lick the herbs off of his paws. There was nothing on his mind other than what a great first day of training he had had.

"Hey, Emberpaw!" Moonpaw's cheerful mew came from behind him, and he spun around to see her trotting towards him with a squirrel in her mouth. "How's being a medicine cat going?"

"Great," the apprentice began. Moonpaw cut him off.

"Wait, don't tell me," she mewed, "come and eat with everyone else and you can explain it all then." Moonpaw waved her tail in the direction of the yew bush, where Stormpaw, Pondpaw and Brightpaw were already eating.

Emberpaw's brother looked up from his mouse. "Hey, Emberpaw!" He grinned, scraps of mouse dangling from his whiskers. "How was your first full day?"

Pondpaw purred and reached one black paw forward to flick the bits of fresh-kill off of Stormpaw's muzzle. Emberpaw took a squirrel off of the pile and trotted over. Brightpaw nodded a greeting to him and moved over so he could sit down. "So, how was it?" She asked.

"Great," Emberpaw replied between bites of squirrel. He swallowed and looked up. "Rainbreeze showed me around the territory and then started teaching me about the different herbs. I really like it so far."

"Did you have to chew anything?" Pondpaw asked, shuddering. "Herbs are so gross!"

"No, I didn't," Emberpaw responded, mildly interested. "Why, have you?"

"I was a pretty sickly kit," the slender she-cat laughed nervously. "Suffice it to say that I've eaten way too many herbs for my liking."

Emberpaw didn't push her, instead settling into a crouch to finish his squirrel. The conversation lulled for a few moments before Stormpaw asked, "so who do you think will go on the quest?"

Though the apprentice didn't look up, Emberpaw could feel the energy in the group spring up as his brother voiced the topic that had been on everyone's mind. Emberpaw had reconciled himself with the fact that he wouldn't be going because he was a medicine cat apprentice, but all of the others were excited. Since three cats from each Clan were going, there would probably be at least one apprentice in the group. Pondpaw was the first to speak. "I think Ravenwing should go. He's a really strong warrior."

"Or Palefrost, he thinks through things really well," Brightpaw added, eyes shining.

"I hope I get to go!" Moonpaw added. Her tail flicked excitedly and her blue eyes were bright. "I would love to be able to do something like that!"

Stormpaw yawned lazily and leaned back on his haunches. "It would be pretty fun," he admitted, "but we're just becoming apprentices, Moonpaw. We don't even have basic training!"

The silver she-cat lowered her gaze, downcast. "I guess you're right," she muttered. Then she perked up. "But maybe, if we train hard before Talonstar picks, and maybe if we ask Lilyheart…"

"Just because Mom's the deputy doesn't mean you get special perks, Moonpaw," Emberpaw broke in. He gave his sister a wary glance. "Don't try to take advantage of it."

Moonpaw stuck her tongue out at him. "Fine, oh great wise medicine cat," she mewed jokingly. Then her blue eyes sobered a little bit. "I do hope one of us gets to go, though," she said wistfully. "If any of us goes, we have to tell everyone else all about it when we get back."

Brightpaw nodded. "And hopefully, we'll bring more apprentices, too!" The ginger-and-white she-cat closed her green eyes, purring. "I can't wait to meet all of them."

"But what if they don't want to come with us?" Pondpaw asked worriedly. "Rainbreeze said that in her dream she learned that they live a lot like a Clan themselves. What if they don't want to split up into four Clans?"

"I guess we'll have to deal with it when we get there," Brightpaw mewed thoughtfully. "Maybe they're more like family groups living together."

"If they have a leader, I'd like to see them split up!" Moonpaw snorted. "Imagine if some strange cats walked into camp this very moment and told us to split up and come join their groups. Talonstar would have a field day telling them off about it."

Even Emberpaw purred at the amusing thought of Talonstar, fluffed up to three times his size, yelling at some strange cats.

Brightpaw finished her mouse and sat up. She licked one paw, drew it across her whiskers, and mewed, "well, I've had a long day. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to get some rest." With a wave of her tail, she vanished into the den, and Pondpaw dipped her head and followed, her sleek black paws scuffing the dirt into clouds behind her.

Emberpaw rose to his paws and stretched. "Good night," he told Stormpaw and Moonpaw. "See you in the morning."

"'Night," Moonpaw purred. She and Stormpaw turned and brushed through the branches of the yew, leaving Emberpaw alone.

The ginger-and-black apprentice sighed, then padded across the clearing, watching his shadow flicker across the walls of the camp. Almost everyone had gone to their dens for the night, tired after yet another day of extra work due to the lack of warriors. Emberpaw turned his face towards the sky, watching the stars slowly come into focus as the sun sank lower against the horizon. _Help us, StarClan,_ he prayed silently. Yawning, he stepped into the den and was greeted by Rainbreeze, sitting awake in her nest.

"How was your meal?" She asked politely. She lowered her paw and focused her gaze on the apprentice.

"It was nice," Emberpaw replied. "I like Pondpaw and Brightpaw. They're nice."

Rainbreeze nodded slightly. "I'm glad you had a good time." She gestured to his nest, "get some sleep. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Mutely, Emberpaw nodded. He curled down in his nest, pressing his face into the soft moss, and fell asleep instantly.

A/n: Sorry for hurried ending, I just reeeally wanted to get this up before the day was over e_e Anyways, next chapter we might revisit an old POV ;) All right, thanks for 21 reviews, I love y'all, have a good day!


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: I feel so loved, you guys! :'3 After I posted the new chapter, I got 10 new reviews over the course of a night and morning! All right, someone guessed that this next chapter would be from Lilyheart's perspective. Correct! I love her too much to abandon her for good. X3 Let's get to the chapter. Enjoy!

Lilyheart awoke early that morning. Sparktail's warm flank was pressed against hers and she was comfortable, but it was her job to get up and organize patrols for the day. Quietly, she slipped out of the den, shook her fur out, and trotted over to her favorite place beneath Highledge, where she sat down to groom her paws and watch the sun rise. The morning was chilly, but the pale sky promised a clear, cloudless day that would surely warm it up. The camp was mostly deserted, aside from the apprentice Pondpaw, who was stretching near the apprentice's den. Sparktail's apprentice Brightpaw appeared a few heartbeats later, accompanied by Moonpaw, who looked sleepy and had a bad case of bedhead, just like she did when she was a kit. Lilyheart held back a purr as she watched her daughter shake out her silver fur before turning back into the den and dragging Stormpaw out by his scruff. He was asleep at the moment, but he quickly woke up, surprised, and broke free of Moonpaw's grasp.

"Hey!" He complained. "Don't do that!"

Moonpaw made a face at him and sat down, licking one paw and drawing it over her ear. "Your fault for sleeping in. We've got training today!"

"Oh, that's right!" Stormpaw jumped to his paws, suddenly looking more awake.

Lilyheart purred as she watched them. _I'm so proud of them,_ she thought to herself. Moonpaw was sleek and beautiful, Stormpaw was strong and brave, and Emberpaw was smart and kind. They were the best kits she and Sparktail could have ever wished for. She was so busy watching them, she didn't notice Sparktail until he licked her cheek. Startled, she turned to face her mate. "Sparktail, you surprised me!" she mewed half-accusingly. "I didn't hear you come up behind me."

The brown tabby smiled and sat down next to her. "We raised the perfect kits, didn't we?" He murmured.

"Yes, we did." Lilyheart leaned against him, closing her eyes. For a moment, she felt like a new warrior again—Carefree and happy, without a trouble on her mind. Almost nothing was the same now. But that was all right.

"Lilyheart, are you going to organize the patrols?" A white she-cat, Sleetwing, broke into Lilyheart's mind. The deputy stumbled out of her thoughts and shook her head to clear them.

"Of course," she mewed, dipping her head. Sparktail nodded to her and left her side to join the crowd beginning to gather. Lilyheart surveyed the cats who were already up. "Oaktail and Palefrost, check the WindClan border. Sparktail and Sleetwing, you two are free to give your apprentices their assessments. Featherpelt and Palefrost, take your apprentices on a hunting patrol." Lilyheart purred as Moonpaw and Stormpaw swapped excited glances. The cats broke up, talking, leaving Lilyheart alone. She yawned, glad to have gotten her morning work over with for the moment.

"Lilyheart." Talonstar's weary voice came from behind her, and she turned to see the old leader padding slowly from his den. "I need to talk to you." Lilyheart mutely dipped her head and followed the graying tom into the cave beneath Highledge. It was roomier than it looked inside, wide enough for two cats to sit opposite from each other without it being too cramped. Lilyheart took her spot on the sandy floor of the den, and Talonstar sat down in his nest—uncustomary of him, but since he was getting older, it wasn't surprising.

Talonstar took a shuddering breath. "I need you to help me decide who to send on the trip."

The she-cat nodded. She had guessed that that was what this was about. "Have you thought about it at all?" She asked gently.

"Ah... Not really." The leader sighed. "I have been too tired lately." He straightened up a little and his eyes cleared. "But I feel stronger today. We must decide now, before this wears off."

"Do you know what ranks you want these cats to be?" Lilyheart prompted.

"I want two warriors and an apprentice," Talonstar told her, "preferably an older apprentice."

"And two warriors?"

Talonstar nodded. "I am leaving these decisions up to you, Lilyheart." The she-cat opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a flick of his tail. "I am old, Lilyheart," he wheezed. "You will become leader soon. It is crucial that you know how to make these kinds of decisions."

Lilyheart made to speak, but changed her mind and dipped her head. "All right. I will decide for you by sundown."

Stormpaw's POV

"Wow, a hunting patrol!" The gray tom skipped in circles around Palefrost, who was watching him with amused blue eyes. "Where are we going?"

His mentor's gaze turned to Featherpelt, who was trying to quiet an eagerly bouncing Moonpaw. "What do you thing?" He asked the slightly older she-cat.

Featherpelt raised one forepaw and placed it on top of Moonpaw's head, preventing the apprentice from bouncing around. "I think we should bring them to the lakeshore," she replied. "There's always prey there, and it's easiest to catch."

Palefrost nodded. "Let's go to the mossy hollow first to teach them the hunting basics."

"Yay!" Stormpaw stopped running in circles and pricked his ears. "Let's go now!"

Palefrost chuckled. "All right, let's go."

Stormpaw bounced forward, not caring that he was ahead of the rest of the party, and charged through the thorn tunnel.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Palefrost warned, flicking his tail-tip. "You might get lost. This is only your second time out of camp, remember?"

"Sorry." Stormpaw sat still long enough to let his mentor pass, then followed him through the forest excitedly. "So now what? Are you going to teach us the hunter's crouch? Or how to catch a bird?"

"I know how you catch a bird. Like this!" Moonpaw's squeal came from behind him, and suddenly he was pinned down from behind.

"Hey, get off me!" He protested. "Move!"

"That's enough." Featherpelt's stern mew broke in, and the gray she-cat came into Stormpaw's line of sight. "Moonpaw, get off of him. Both of you need to be quiet or you'll scare all the prey off."

"Sorry," Moonpaw muttered, releasing her grip on Stormpaw's shoulders. He clambered impatiently to his paws, shaking the moss from his pelt.

"We're here!" Palefrost called from the front of the group. Stormpaw recognized the mossy clearing from his tour of the territory, and he plunged excitedly down the slope, rolling over in the soft moss before jumping back up.

"Now what?" Moonpaw asked excitedly, kneading the soft green floor with her front paws.

"First, I'm going to demonstrate the hunter's crouch. Both of you, sit over there." Palefrost flicked his tail to a stone that jutted out from the side of the hollow. Stormpaw jumped up with Moonpaw beside him. He sat down and watched his mentor with wide eyes.

Palefrost lowered his body to the ground, straightening his tail out behind him. "This is a proper hunter's crouch," he told the two apprentices.

Featherpelt leaped nimbly down into the hollow. "Look carefully, you two," she mewed. "See how still his tail is, and how low he is to the ground? You must be as quick, short and silent as a snake. The prey mustn't see, hear, smell or feel you coming or it will run away."

Stormpaw nodded silently, trying to soak up every detail. _I'm going to be the best hunter in the whole Clan! _He told himself proudly.

Palefrost stalked nimbly forward before pouncing on a leaf and sitting up with it speared on one claw. "See?" He purred. "It didn't hear, feel, see or smell me coming. Now it's dead!"

"All right, stop goofing off." Featherpelt flicked the tom jokingly on the ear. "Are you two ready to try it?" she asked.

"Yes!" Stormpaw jumped to his feet and skittered down the side of the rock until he stood before Featherpelt. He remembered how Palefrost had positioned himself and tried to copy his mentor, pressing his belly to the ground and straightening his tail out behind him. "How's this?"

"Try taking a step forward," Featherpelt mewed. When he did, he felt the leaves and moss rustle beneath his belly. Featherpelt shook her head. "The prey would be gone by now because it heard you coming."

"Let me try!" Moonpaw broke in. Stormpaw sat up and shook his fur out. His sister had lowered herself down, tail lashing, and was intently fixed on a leaf. As he watched, she took three quick, silent steps forward and pounced on it. She sat up with it in her claws, beaming. "Did I do it right?" She asked.

"Almost," Featherpelt mewed. She glanced sideways at Stormpaw. "Can you tell me what mistake she made that would have alerted the prey?"

"Her tail was moving," Stormpaw mewed. "The prey would have seen and heard it, right?"

"Very good!" Palefrost came forward and gave his apprentice an approving glance. Stormpaw glowed.

"Try again," Featherpelt directed at Moonpaw. The she-cat tried again, this time keeping her tail still. When she sat up with the leaf, Featherpelt purred, "Well done!"

"You try," Palefrost mewed, poking Stormpaw. "Remember to keep your belly off the ground." Stormpaw tried, but almost immediately was stopped by Palefrost. "You can't get anywhere in that stance," he mewed. "Keep trying."

*LINEBREAK*

Despite training until sunhigh, Stormpaw didn't manage to perfect his hunting crouch. Palefrost and Featherpelt dropped the apprentices back at camp and left for a hunting patrol, leaving Stormpaw and Moonpaw both embarrassed. "Why don't we get to come?" Moonpaw complained, pacing. "I bet I could have caught something!"

"I probably wouldn't have," Stormpaw muttered desolately.

"Cheer up," Moonpaw purred perkily. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually!"

"Maybe." Stormpaw shrugged off his sister and padded into the apprentice's den, where he flopped down in his nest with a huge sigh.

"You okay?" Pondpaw raised her head, glancing over at him.

"No." Stormpaw curled around himself, tucking his paws over his nose, and closed his eyes to sleep. _I don't want to be bothered right now._

A/n: D'aww, poor lil' Stormy… ;w; Sorry this took a few days, haha. Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Okie-dokie, this chapter begins two days before they leeeeeave because I can :I Anyways, more of lil' Stormpaw's POV, because he's shaping up to be one of my favoritest little kitties ;w; Thank you for all the reviews!

Stormpaw sniffed the air. He caught the scent of pigeon on the breeze and licked his lips, sinking into a hunter's crouch. Palefrost's words rang in his head: _Be like a snake. You must slide through the forest as quick and silent as one, and kill just as quickly._ Stormpaw quickly located the bird, pecking at the roots of a beech tree. He stalked quickly towards it, then shot himself forward and grabbed the bird's neck in his jaws. He felt it snap beneath his teeth, and dropped it on the ground proudly. No blood—A 'clean' kill, as Palefrost would call it.

Picking the fresh-kill up again, he returned to a maple near the lakeshore and dug up his other kills: A thrush and two mice. A whole day of hunting had paid off. Stormpaw glanced up at the sky. The sun was just sliding down over the tops of the trees, and Talonstar would be announcing the cats to go on the quest directly after sunset. The gray apprentice picked up his fresh-kill, groaning as the load stretched his jaws wider than normal, and set off at a run towards camp. When he burst through the thorn tunnel, the cats were just starting to gather. Panting, Stormpaw dropped his catch on the pile and trotted over to the edge of the crowd, where Brightpaw, Pondpaw and Moonpaw were already sitting. Stormpaw took a seat next to Pondpaw and glanced over at her. Her pretty amber eyes were fixed on the Highledge and she didn't notice him, but Stormpaw couldn't help staring at her. Her pelt was smooth and glossy and black as the night sky. Her small paws were tucked neatly under her, and she was sitting up, relaxed. His eyes traveled up to her face, and he flushed, realizing she was looking at him with a little bit of confusion in her gaze. He turned away, face burning, but not before he saw her eyes slide to the ground, a small smile curling the edges of her mouth.

The Clan quieted down as a cat stepped out onto the Highledge. Stormpaw was mildly surprised to realize that it was Lilyheart, not Talonstar. His mother surveyed the gathered cats, then sat down. "Talonstar has asked me to tell you all who will be going on the journey, as he is not feeling well tonight." There were murmurs of unease, but she quieted them by adding, "Rainbreeze and Emberpaw tell me he will be fine. All he needs is a little bit of rest."

Stormpaw kneaded the ground with his forepaws, excited to find out who the journeying cats would be. He knew inwardly that he wouldn't be chosen since he was only seven moons old, but the irrational part of him still had a sliver of hope.

Lilyheart rose to her paws again. "After careful consideration between Talonstar and myself, we have chosen two warriors and an apprentice to go on this quest. The warriors will be Sleetwing and Sparktail. The apprentice will be Brightpaw."

The Clan cheered the names. Stormpaw glanced over at Brightpaw, who was staring at Lilyheart with a mixture of fear, excitement and disbelief in her eyes. Sparktail and Sleetwing were surrounded by the few warriors of ThunderClan, all chattering excitedly. Stormpaw realized he couldn't see Emberpaw or Rainbreeze in the crowd. _Surely they didn't miss it?_ He wondered to himself. As the crowd broke up, he shouldered through the noticeably small crowd towards the medicine cat den. He was greeted by the sound of coughing and Emberpaw, carrying a batch of fragrant leaves.

"Hey, Emberpaw!" Stormpaw purred. "Did you hear? Dad's going on the quest! Where were…" he stopped, seeing the worried, tense look in his brother's eyes. "What's going on?"

Emberpaw's eyes were dark. "Greencough," he mewed. "Softflower and Oaktail have greencough. Featherpelt has whitecough."

"Oh, no!" Stormpaw had heard stories of the terrible disease. "That's really bad," he shuddered.

Emberpaw nodded. "Especially with such small numbers. The whole Clan could be wiped out!"

"I guess we really DO need those loners." Stormpaw blinked at the realization. Suddenly, it was so much more _real._ His whole Clan could die out. Just… gone. Nothing more than a memory in the hearts of a few loners, a fading story to die with them.

Emberpaw sighed as another bout of coughing broke out from inside. "That's Featherpelt," he mewed grimly. "I'm trying to prevent her from getting any worse. You should stay away, so that you don't get sick." With a flick of his tail, the medicine cat apprentice turned and vanished into the den.

Stormpaw left the medicine clearing and returned to the apprentice's den, where Moonpaw and Pondpaw were congratulating Brightpaw. The pretty ginger-and-white she-cat was talking excitedly as Stormpaw walked over. "I can't believe it! I wonder who else will go. From the other Clans, I mean." Her green eyes shone. "This is going to be amazing!"

"Lucky duck," Pondpaw purred, flicking her tail. "Ah, well. You have to tell us every little detail when you get back, okay?"

"Of course!" Brightpaw licked her sister's ear. "I suppose we should get some rest. Goodnight!" She and Moonpaw both went in.

Pondpaw nodded to Stormpaw a little awkwardly. "'Night," she murmured, before following the two other she-cats into the den."

Stormpaw, left alone in the clearing by the apprentice's den, sighed before replying, "'Night," under his breath. In the center of the clearing, there was still a party going on for the chosen cats, but the small gray tom wanted nothing more than to fall asleep after the long day. When he curled up in his nest, though, he could still hear the rasping coughs of the sick cats in the medicine den. Some of the warriors outside probably didn't even realize what was going on. Stormpaw buried his face in the moss, trying to mute the sounds around him. Finally, after the clearing had fallen into silence and the moon was high above them, StarClan took pity and he drifted away into sleep.

A/n: So, what do you guys think of my choices? For some reason, I really like Sleetwing, so I wanted to develop her more. What better way to do it than this? The journey will begin in 2 or 3 chapters, I think. Yeah. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: 45 reviews! Almost 50 in 5 chapters. That's even better than the other one got, I think XD So, for the first time, we're entering Brightpaw's POV!

_Rain thrummed the ground around her, soaking Brightpaw's fur and streaming down her face, reducing her vision to a vague, blurry haze. She was able to tell where she stood: Just outside the apprentice's den in the ThunderClan camp. She could discern nothing else from the watery scene, but beneath the thunder and the pour of rain, she could hear dying coughs of cats all around her. As she blinked, her vision came more into focus and she saw the waterlogged dead bodies of her Clanmates, lined up side by side in the middle of the camp. A half dozen warriors at least, and at the end was one smaller black figure. Brightpaw raced forward, recognizing Pondpaw's sopping pelt. "NO!" The agonized shriek ripped from her throat as she collapsed beside her sister's body. The scent of death hung heavy in the air, and the smell of illness. So few cats were still alive…_

_ "You failed, Brightpaw." The she-cat turned to see Pondpaw, shimmering in the rain, standing behind her. The kind she-cat's eyes gleamed with malicious hatred. "You failed us all. The Clans will end and it's your fault!"_

_ "I'm so sorry, Pondpaw." At a loss for words, the ginger-and-white she-cat turned her face towards the shimmering image. "I'm so sorry…"_

"Brightpaw, wake up!" The heavy pressure of a paw against her shoulder as well as the concerned mew shook the apprentice from her sleep.

_Just a dream…_ Brightpaw blinked her eyes open and glanced up, feeling a shudder of relief run through her as her sleepy gaze focused on Pondpaw, who stood above her with worry in her amber eyes. "What is it?" She asked sleepily.

"You were twitching. I thought maybe you were having a nightmare." Pondpaw sat down in her nest again. "Are you nervous?"

"We're leaving tonight. Of course I am," Brightpaw snapped, then immediately felt sorry as she saw the hurt look in Pondpaw's eyes. "I'm sorry," she amended. "I'm just terrified that something will go wrong, or…"

"Don't worry." Pondpaw leaned forward and licked Brightpaw's ear. "You're the best cat for the job. You'll do fine."

"Thanks." Brightpaw purred gratefully. She forced herself to her paws, blinking the sleep out of her eyes and sitting down as well to cast a few swift licks across her fur.

"Hey, Brightpaw," the muffled mew came from behind. Brightpaw turned to see Moonpaw with a gigantic rabbit dangling from her jaws. She hauled it over and dropped it in the empty nest nearest Pondpaw's. "Lilyheart told me to bring you that." She nodded to the fresh-kill. "Says you should eat a lot early in the day so it can settle and you don't get sick with nerves at the Gathering tonight."

"I think I'm already sick with nerves." Brightpaw swallowed nervously, then glanced at the two other she-cats. "Will you guys help me? I don't think I can eat this all on my own."

Moonpaw's eyes shone. "Yes, please! I've already been on the dawn patrol and a hunting patrol. I'm starving!"

"A dawn patrol and a hunting patrol?" Brightpaw asked. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Past sunhigh," Moonpaw replied with her mouth full.

Brightpaw almost spit out her own mouthful. "WHAT?!" She yelped, nearly choking. "Why didn't anyone wake me before this? I've got so much to do before we leave…" She stood, but Pondpaw reached out a paw and pressed her shoulder down with surprising strength.

"Calm down," the black she-cat murmured. "The Gathering cats don't leave till nearly moonhigh. There's at least four patrol-lengths between now and then."

Unconvinced but grudgingly nodding, Brightpaw sat down and reluctantly took another mouthful of rabbit. It was a particularly good catch- warm and juicy and just the tiniest bit salty. She found herself eating ravenously until the remains of the rabbit were all that were left. Moonpaw was gnawing thoughtfully on a bone, a faraway look in her eyes. "What are you thinking of?" Brightpaw asked the younger apprentice.

The silver she-cat jumped nervously. "What? Nothing." She laughed and shrugged. "I'm just wondering if you and the other cats are going to bring any cute toms back with you." She returned to chewing on the rabbit bone while Pondpaw and Brightpaw swapped amused glances. Then, Pondpaw rose to her feet.

"I'm going hunting," she mewed. "Moonpaw, you come too. Brightpaw, try and get some sleep, okay? You need all of the rest you can get."

Brightpaw shot her sister a glare. "I want to come hunting with you guys!"

"No. You have to get some sleep. Sparktail and Sleetwing are, too. I'll wake you up when we have to leave for the Gathering."

"Fine." After the two other apprentices left, Brightpaw crashed in her nest, tossing and turning for StarClan knows how long. Finally, she decided she couldn't sleep with all the noise and sunlight, so she stood, shook out her fur and padded out of the apprentice's den towards the medicine den. Her hope was to get a poppy seed and a nice, quiet, dark nest in the back of the den so that she could get rest like she knew she needed. However, before she entered, she was met by Emberpaw, who smelled of herbs.

He dipped his head to her before mewing, "you can't go in."

"Because of the greencough patients?" Brightpaw guessed. Five cats were currently ill with the deadly disease, and Emberpaw and Rainbreeze were working full-time to quell the epidemic.

Emberpaw nodded. "What do you need?"

"A poppy seed and a dark place to sleep," she replied wearily. The medicine cat apprentice flicked his tail and vanished into the den, returning on three legs with one raised above the ground. On it were two tiny flecks.

"Here, lick these off of my pad," he urged her. Brightpaw made a disgusted face and the medicine cat rolled his eyes. "I washed the paw off first, don't worry."

Brightpaw hesitantly leaned down and licked Emberpaw's pad, feeling slightly ridiculous. "Where can I sleep?" she asked. "The apprentice's den is too bright."

"Use the nursery," Emberpaw instructed. "It's empty right now."

An empty nursery was just another sign of a weakened, shrinking Clan, but Brightpaw was already feeling the effects of the poppy seeds and she didn't feel like dwelling on it. Nodding her thanks, the apprentice slowly made her way into the empty bramble den and collapsed in the soft bedding. She was sound asleep in heartbeats.

_Surrounded. Brightpaw was surrounded on all sides by strange cats with long fur that covered their eyes. She couldn't get past them, for they stood strong like boulders, unmovable. Beginning to panic, she cast around for any signs of familiarity—Where was she? Where were Sparktail and Sleetwing? Who were these strange cats?_

_ As if on cue, one spoke. Brightpaw could not see his face but she could tell from his voice that he was a tom. "You cannot separate us. We will not yield to you. Why should we come and help a distant group of cats? Our survival does not depend on you. It is you who need us. And we will not come to your aid!" The soft breeze that had been present throughout the dream (because of course she was dreaming. Even Brightpaw could tell that much) picked up, turning into a fierce wind that barely ruffled the she-cat's short fur but cast the longer fur of the strange cats fluttering in the breeze. Their faces were all revealed as the fur was pushed away… But they had no eyes. None of them. They faced her directions with blank faces, lips drawn back in snarls, noses wrinkled in disgust, but their faces were eyeless. Brightpaw shrieked in terror and fell to the ground as she was pounced upon by all sides by the strange cats. She could feel their teeth sinking into her skin, their claws ripping through her flesh…_

"BRIGHTPAW!" The yowl sounded loud and clear in Brightpaw's mind and she woke with a sudden jolt, leaping to her paws with wide eyes. She shrieked almost as loudly as she had in the dream, then seeing Pondpaw beside her, she collapsed with relief and terror.

"I'm okay," she managed, panting.

"Another nightmare?" Pondpaw asked sympathetically; Brightpaw nodded mutely.

"Are you two all right?" Sleetwing came hurrying in, looking calm and well-composed as usual. Pondpaw dipped her head to her mentor in respect, but Brightpaw was the one who responded.

"I'm fine, it was just a dream," she replied, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

The senior warrior nodded, though she didn't look convinced. "We're leaving now. Pondpaw, you're coming too so you can see her off."

Brightpaw realized that this was it. She was going. Her heart drummed in her chest, but it was not with fear as she had expected—It was excitement, adrenaline and pride. She was going on a mission to save the Clans. She had been selected out of her whole Clan for this job. _I won't let them down._

"Are you coming?" Pondpaw's call rang from outside the den.

Brightpaw rose to her paws, feeling them tingle. "Yes!" She replied, bounding out of the den. The moon was near its peak in the sky and all the other cats going—A pathetically small group—were gathered by the exit. Raising her head high, Brightpaw padded over to the group and nodded to Sparktail. Her mentor smiled in response and turned back to Talonstar. The ginger tom, looking old but strong, flicked his tail and vanished through the thorn tunnel. Brightpaw followed. Her claws curled into the ground with every stride she took, and she felt well-rested and alert after her long nap.

_Here we go._


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: I just finished reading my 50th review! Thanks so much, guys :) It really made me feel motivated to update this, even though I've been updating sort of slowly. Ah, well. School starts in a week and a half for me, but I'm going to keep updating, despite having karate, basketball, rockclimbing, art, homework and babysitting XD On a side note, I AM going to use your cats that you submitted to the forum! Don't worry :3 I did, however, have to change a few names and a few Clans. Like, did you know there were 4 different –storms submitted? Gonna change some of those XDD

Bluetail padded heavily into the clearing, swishing her tail back and forth. Despite having eaten two carp over the course of the day, hunger gnawed at her belly. Clearwater said it was probably just the nerves and that she had to stop eating, but now the RiverClan warrior seriously regretted not eating another fish when she had the chance. Crookednose and Splashpaw, the other two RiverClan cats selected to go on the quest, were slightly behind her, walking with their heads together and talking quietly. That day, the RiverClan group only consisted of Ravenstar, Clearwater, Rainclaw, Honeypaw, Maplewhisker, Tigerfur and the journey cats. WindClan and ShadowClan were already there, and ThunderClan was crossing the tree-bridge at that moment. Ravenstar nodded to Bluetail and leaped up into the branches of the Great Oak.

"Hey, Bluetail!" The mew came from behind her, and the young warrior spun around to see a WindClan she-cat, Ryefeather, coming towards her. The two had become good friends during the time when ThunderClan and RiverClan lived together—Ryefeather was one of Songstar's loners who had joined their group for a little while.

"Hey, Ryefeather! How are the kits?" Bluetail purred back.

"Apprentices, now." The sandy she-cat's eyes glowed.

"Congratulations!" Bluetail replied.

"So, who are the cats going from your Clan?" the WindClan she-cat asked.

Bluetail grinned. "Crookednose, Splashpaw and myself. What about you?"

Ryefeather's eyes lit up. "I'm going, too!" She grinned.

"Awesome! It'll be nice to know I'll have a friend there." Bluetail blinked happily, sitting down and curling her tail around her paws.

"What about Splashpaw and Crookednose?" Ryefeather asked curiously, sitting down beside her.

Bluetail gave her a look. "Like I said, glad to have you with us." The two she-cats shared a laugh, but ThunderClan had entered the clearing and the Gathering was called to order. First, Talonstar stood because he was the oldest leader. Bluetail watched sympathetically as the old tom struggled to his paws, fur unkempt and eyes dull.

"ThunderClan has had an outbreak of Greencough," the ginger tom began, "but we are still… still strong." His words were broken by a cough. "We have chosen three cats to go on this journey: Sleetwing, Sparktail and Brightpaw."

"Sleetwing! Sparktail! Brightpaw!" Bluetail rose to her paws, cheering. It would be nice to see Sparktail again; She had liked being around the tom, it was always fun.

Ravenstar spoke next. "RiverClan's fish are being poisoned, but the problem has been quickly fixed and we are now healing our sick. The three cats to go on the journey to represent RiverClan will be Bluetail, Splashpaw and Crookednose."

"Bluetail! Splashpaw! Crookednose!" The four Clans cheered again. Bluetail noticed how painfully thin the chorus of voices was, more like one or two Clans instead of four.

Songstar stood up on her branch, balancing nimbly. Her green eyes surveyed the cats as she mewed, "WindClan is doing well. The three WindClan cats to go on this journey are Ryefeather, Frozenfang and Skypaw."

Finally, Shadedstar stood. He had been sitting quietly the whole time, but as he rose the clamor quieted. Bluetail was surprised to realize that the old cat was thin and weak-looking. When he spoke, his voice was thin and raspy. "ShadowClan has, like ThunderClan, had an outbreak of Greencough, and our prey is running low. Other than that—" he paused to cough—"We are doing fine. The three selected cats to go on the journey are Blazefall, Smokeclaw and Falconpaw."

_Two warriors and an apprentice from each Clan. Fitting,_ Bluetail thought to herself with a small smile. The final cheers died down before Talonstar forced himself to his paws again, obviously trying very hard to balance well on the thick branch.

"We now have our questing cats," he called. "May StarClan be with you all. The medicine cats and those selected to journey will stay here, and the medicine cats will return to their Clans at sunrise. The Gathering is over!" He leaped from the tree, stumbling slightly as he landed, and was quickly supported by Lilyheart, who offered her shoulder to the leader. He sagged against it, wheezing, then straightened up. ThunderClan was the first to leave. Their only remaining cats sat in a clump together- The brown tabby tom Sparktail, the beautiful silver she-cat Sleetwing, and a slightly smaller, lithe ginger-and-white she-cat who was obviously Brightpaw. Rainbreeze and a small ginger-and-black tom sat beside them, and all five were talking quietly.

The clearing emptied remarkably fast. A few cats stopped to wish their loved ones luck before departing. Finally, when everyone else had gone, the medicine cats stopped quickly to converse and then Violetwing waved her tail as an invitation for all the warriors and apprentices to gather around her and the other medicine cats. "Tonight, you will all sleep here, on the island. StarClan will communicate with each one of you. Tomorrow morning, you will take strengthening herbs and we can direct you which way to head. That's all we can do for you. For now, everyone can just focus on finding a comfortable place to rest for the night. The other medicine cats and I will be beneath the Great Oak, if you need us for whatever reason. Goodnight."

Brightpaw's POV

The ginger-and-white she-cat had found a comfortable place in some ferns near the water's edge, but she couldn't get to sleep. What if she had more nightmares? So instead, she just curled down into the soft underbrush and closed her eyes, hoping to eventually fall asleep anyways. She couldn't shut off her brain, though. Excited thoughts, fears, and troubles ran through her mind over and over. _What if I'm not strong enough and I fail? What if a huge storm comes and I get separated? What if there's a battle and someone else gets killed when I could have helped them?_

"Don't worry, little one." The soft, smooth voice slid into Brightpaw's thoughts, and it took her a moment to realize the voice hadn't come from another cat. Not one that she knew, anyways. The apprentice opened her eyes, casting her gaze across the moonlit beach, but seeing nothing.

"Who's there?" She asked tentatively.

"I am, of course." Brightpaw finally decided that the voice was coming from behind her, and she turned to see a tortoiseshell she-cat, sitting lightly in the moss with her tail curled over her paws. Her amber eyes sparkled and changed hue in the silver light of the full moon.

"Who—who are you?" Brightpaw asked, getting nervously to your paws. "Are you from StarClan?" Then she silently scolded herself, _of course she is, you idiot! _

"Yes, I am, though you don't know me. I walked this territory a long time ago, before even Talonstar was born. My name is Mossdapple."

"Are you here to talk to me?"

"Yes." Mossdapple nodded, then inclined her head slightly. "Sit down, Brightpaw."

The young she-cat obliged, curling her tail over her paws. "What do you want to tell me?" She asked.

"This journey will be long and harsh," the StarClan cat told her. "But if your group manages to stick together, you will be successful."

"Manages to stick together? What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you anything more, Brightpaw. You must wake up."

"But it's still dark out! Why do you have to go?"

"Sleep now, little one. You need your rest." Mossdapple leaned forward and touched her nose to Brightpaw's head. The apprentice began to feel very sleepy, and slowly lowered herself down onto the ground. Through barely open eyes, she saw Mossdapple fade away into pure starlight, which scattered through the air on the breeze. Finally, at last, sleep took her and she dreamed no more.


End file.
